Raj TV expected to go pay early next year

Following in the trend of going pay, Raj TV is set to join the bandwagon sometime during January or February next year.

According to R.Radhakrishnan, General Manager, Marketing, "The groundwork has begun. But an exact date hasn't been fixed as yet.” He also added that they have been meeting people and that response to this decision has been favourable.

The channel will charge Rs 10 per household. Reveals Radhakrishnan, "We don't intend to rob people off big sums. So we've settled for a reasonable sum of Rs 10". He also explained that the move wouldn't effect viewers, as they would still be paying the same. Cable operators might however lose out on small portion of their share.

Raj TV went through a major makeover in the recent past. A channel known for their possession of close to 2500 films and unbiased presentation of news, re worked their programming mix by adding more soaps.

Apart from AVM's "Geethanjali", 'Ganga Gayatri' is another of their new soaps, which will compete with Sun TV's Alaigal. From the 14th of October, which was also the channel's anniversary, Raj TV also started a new soap by K.Balachander. Apart from various new programs, the channel has also been involved in extensive advertising and various promotional tactics. The channel also had a tie-up with Vasanth&Co, for a small filler called "Vasantha Veedu". This is a 10-minute capsule that will appear any time between 8 and 10.00, during which an anchor will throw a question at the viewers.

Viewers can then call in and win washing machines, fridges, Air conditioners and the like. Otherwise the channel is also promoting live events in several districts in Tamil Nadu. Between October and November, Raj TV will host live musical shows with stalwarts like Balasubramaniyum. This will serve as an opportunity to market the channel and popularise it with the viewers.

When asked about the response received since their makeover that also included a new logo and improved graphics, Radhakrishnan responded saying, "We are getting a lot of calls and letters from our viewers. But to see the reaction in TAM figures, it is still too early".